The Texans 53: My thoughts on the cuts, who surprised and who I’m happy for

In my last post, I took at look at how I thought the roster might shake out and now that the smoke has cleared a little bit, I’ll give you my thoughts on what went down.

CutsXavier Adibi, LB – “X” was a little surprising just because I thought he got off to a solid start in camp and had a good game right out of the preseason chute, but let’s face it, Adibi hasn’t been very reliable for this team and, in many respects, has been “just a guy” for the Texans.

Dorin Dickerson, WR – Once the lockout was over, Dickerson admitted that he was heavier than his target weight and that shouldn’t be a surprise as he’s still trying to convert from TE to WR. Some guys have body types that are what they are and I’m guessing that getting into the 218 range and staying there might be tough for him, but it’s necessary considering the quickness that he has to develop off the snap to be a WR rather than a TE. It’s obvious to me that the Texans simply don’t see him making the transition since they didn’t add him to the practice squad.

Shiloh Keo, SS – This cut may have caught some by surprise since Keo was a draft pick and the Texans rarely cut their draft picks, but Keo just wasn’t good enough to have on the 53 man roster. Keo is a bit of a box safety who is still learning to play in space against better competition and he didn’t stand out enough on special teams to force his way onto the roster. The practice squad is a good spot for Keo.

Jeff Maehl, WR – Gary Kubiak certainly had good things to say about Maehl at times during camp, but the undrafted free agent still needs to get better and could also stand to get just a little bit bigger. It wouldn’t shock me to see Maehl be a bigger factor for a roster spot next year in camp.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB – Ogbonnaya clearly deserves to be on the team ahead of Steve Slaton based on what we saw in camp, but Slaton is probably just taking up a roster spot until the Texans see if they can trade him. Ogbonnaya won’t “wow” anyone as a runner, but he was solid and proved he was a fit in this scheme, could catch the ball and could play special teams.

Cody Wallace, OG/C – Wallace played with a nasty streak all camp and I thought he jumped out on a couple of occasions during games, but at some point during a game or in camp, Wallace got dinged and I could tell in practice that his injury was causing him problems while he tried to anchor. To me, Wallace showed he could play in the league and would be a good depth addition for a team looking for a swing G/C.

Damione Lewis, DE – Lewis was definitely not a great fit in this defense from a physical attribute standpoint and he’s also another example of how players who just got done signing a contract can be cut too if a large chunk of money isn’t guaranteed. I thought Lewis did a decent job when he was asked to handle himself at NT when Earl Mitchell was out, but I never really thought he was a fit at 3-4 DE. Still, I was a little surprised to see him get cut rather than Tim Bulman.

Brad Maynard, P – Maynard is pretty good at placement punting, but he doesn’t have much of a leg and finding punters shouldn’t be the toughest thing in the world (theoretically, that is).

Jesse Nading, OLB – Nading is a guy who good teams wouldn’t be able to keep around on their roster as he’s probably not good enough but he can still find a spot on some average defenses. I thought Nading did everything that was asked of him, but it is also hard to ignore that he’s not a plus athlete or a plus pass rusher in the 3-4.

I’m Happy For….

Tim Jamison, DE – Jamison is a perfect example of a guy who comes into camp and most people say “yeah, yeah, who else is out there” but he busted his ass on the practice field and in games and became impossible to ignore. Jamison wasn’t just a hard worker, he was also defeating guys in front of him in games. Well done, Jamison.

Bryan Braman, OLB – I’m sure Braman’s relationship with assistant coach Bobby King didn’t hurt his chances of making the team and his outstanding athleticism and speed on kick coverage was a big plus as well. Jesse Nading is clearly a more solid player to have out on the field, but Braman has a much greater upside and could turn into a special teams demon down the road. Braman has a checkered background, but I’m glad to see the Texans take a chance on a plus athlete despite maturity issues.

Say What?

Roc Carmichael, CB – Carmichael was injured for most of camp and I was expecting the Texans to find a way to get him to IR but instead, he made the team and is the 7th CB. Honestly, the Texans are still VERY inexperienced at CB and I’m not sure why Carmichael is on the roster right now as he didn’t have a chance to show much. Carmichael could still be cut, and if he is, I’m sure the Texans will put him on the practice squad if he’s not claimed off waivers.

Steve Slaton, RB – As I mentioned before, I think Slaton’s slot on the roster will be short-lived. He’s not a good enough return man to warrant the extra spot for the RB position and I don’t see him being ahead of Ben Tate or Derrick Ward. I know Slaton has legit third down RB potential for a team out there so my guess is the Texans will be looking to deal him. If they can’t trade him, I’ll be surprised if he’s still taking up a roster spot as the 4th RB.

Derek Newton, LT – Newton has good athleticism, but I don’t see him as anywhere near ready to get on the field as an NFL tackle. He’s still nothing more than an athletic project who could turn into a nice swing tackle down the road with more experience. Newton’s spot on the roster may be tied to Rashad Butler’s health. When Butler is healthy, Newton may find himself waived and then moved to the practice squad. Then again, with his athleticism, maybe another team would be willing to use a roster spot to stash him and try to turn him into a player.